ab65329 Total Antioxidant Capacity Assay kit (Colorimetric)

ab65329 Total Antioxidant Capacity Assay kit (Colorimetric) Instructions for Use For rapid, sensitive and accurate measurement of both small molecule antioxidants and proteins or small molecules alone in various samples. This product is for research use only and is not intended for diagnostic use. Version 8 Last Updated 19 May 2015

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND 2 2. ASSAY SUMMARY 3 GENERAL INFORMATION 3. PRECAUTIONS 4 4. STORAGE AND STABILITY 4 5. MATERIALS SUPPLIED 5 6. MATERIALS REQUIRED, NOT SUPPLIED 5 7. LIMITATIONS 6 8. TECHNICAL HINTS 7 ASSAY PREPARATION 9. REAGENT PREPARATION 8 10. STANDARD PREPARATION 9 11. SAMPLE PREPARATION 10 ASSAY PROCEDURE and DETECTION 12. ASSAY PROCEDURE and DETECTION 12 DATA ANALYSIS 13. CALCULATIONS 13 14. TYPICAL DATA 14 RESOURCES 15. QUICK ASSAY PROCEDURE 17 16. TROUBLESHOOTING 18 17. FAQs 20 18. INTERFERENCES 22 19. NOTES 23 Discover more at www.abcam.com 1

INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND Total Antioxidant Capacity Assay Kit (Colorimetric) (ab65329) can measure either the combination of both small molecule antioxidants and proteins or small molecules alone in the presence of our proprietary Protein Mask. Cu 2+ ion is converted to Cu + by both small molecule and protein. The Protein Mask prevents Cu 2+ reduction by protein, enabling the analysis of only the small molecule antioxidants. The reduced Cu + ion is chelated with a colorimetric probe giving a broad absorbance peak around 570 nm, proportional to the total antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants play an important role in preventing the formation of and scavenging of free radicals and other potentially toxic oxidizing species. There are three categories of antioxidant species: enzyme systems (GSH reductase, catalase, peroxidase, etc.), small molecules (ascorbate, uric acid, GSH, vitamin E, etc.) and proteins (albumin, transferrin, etc.). Different antioxidants vary in their reducing power. Trolox is used to standardize antioxidants, with all other antioxidants being measured in Trolox equivalents. Measurement of the combined non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity of biological fluids and other samples provides an indication of the overall capability to counteract reactive oxygen species (ROS), resist oxidative damage and combat oxidative stress-related diseases. In some cases, the antioxidant contribution of proteins is desired whereas in other cases only the contribution of the small molecule antioxidants is needed. Discover more at www.abcam.com 2

INTRODUCTION 2. ASSAY SUMMARY Sample preparation Standard curve preparation Prepare and add working solution Incubate at RT for 1.5 hours Measure optical density (OD570 nm) Discover more at www.abcam.com 3

GENERAL INFORMATION 3. PRECAUTIONS Please read these instructions carefully prior to beginning the assay. All kit components have been formulated and quality control tested to function successfully as a kit. Modifications to the kit components or procedures may result in loss of performance. 4. STORAGE AND STABILITY Store kit at -20ºC in the dark immediately upon receipt. Kit has a storage time of 1 year from receipt, providing components have not been reconstituted. Refer to list of materials supplied for storage conditions of individual components. Observe the storage conditions for individual prepared components in section 5. Aliquot components in working volumes before storing at the recommended temperature. Reconstituted components are stable for 4 months. Discover more at www.abcam.com 4

GENERAL INFORMATION 5. MATERIALS SUPPLIED Item Amount Storage Condition (Before Preparation) Storage Condition (After Preparation) Assay Diluent 10 ml +4 C RT Cu 2+ Reagent 200 µl +4 C RT Protein Mask 10 ml +4 C RT Trolox Standard (1 µmol) Lyophilized 1 vial +4 C 20 C 6. MATERIALS REQUIRED, NOT SUPPLIED These materials are not included in the kit, but will be required to successfully utilize this assay: DMSO Microcentrifuge Pipettes and pipette tips Colorimetric microplate reader equipped with a filter for OD = 570 nm 96 well plate: clear plates for colorimetric assay Orbital shaker Vortex Dounce homogenizer or pestle (if using tissue) Discover more at www.abcam.com 5

GENERAL INFORMATION 7. LIMITATIONS Assay kit intended for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Do not use kit or components if it has exceeded the expiration date on the kit labels. Do not mix or substitute reagents or materials from other kit lots or vendors. Kits are QC tested as a set of components and performance cannot be guaranteed if utilized separately or substituted. Discover more at www.abcam.com 6

GENERAL INFORMATION 8. TECHNICAL HINTS This kit is sold based on number of tests. A test simply refers to a single assay well. The number of wells that contain sample, control or standard will vary by product. Review the protocol completely to confirm this kit meets your requirements. Please contact our Technical Support staff with any questions. Keep enzymes and heat labile components and samples on ice during the assay. Make sure all buffers and developing solutions are at room temperature before starting the experiment. Avoid cross contamination of samples or reagents by changing tips between sample, standard and reagent additions. Avoid foaming or bubbles when mixing or reconstituting components. Samples generating values higher than the highest standard should be further diluted in the appropriate sample dilution buffers. Ensure plates are properly sealed or covered during incubation steps. Make sure you have the appropriate type of plate for the detection method of choice. Make sure the heat block/water bath and microplate reader are switched on before starting the experiment. Discover more at www.abcam.com 7

ASSAY PREPARATION 9. REAGENT PREPARATION Briefly centrifuge small vials at low speed prior to opening. 9.1 Assay Diluent: Ready to use as supplied. Equilibrate to room temperature before use. Store at room temperature. 9.2 Cu 2+ Reagent: Ready to use as supplied. Dilute one part Cu 2+ reagent with 49 parts of Assay Diluent. Store at room temperature. 9.3 Protein Mask: Ready to use as supplied. Store at room temperature. 9.4 Trolox Standard: Reconstitute Trolox Standard in 20 µl of pure DMSO by vortexing. Then add 980 µl of dh 2 O and mix. This is the 1 mm Trolox Standard. Aliquot standard so that you have enough to perform the desired number of assays. Store reconstituted standard at -20 C for up to 4 months. Discover more at www.abcam.com 8

ASSAY PRE ASSAY PREPARATION 10.STANDARD PREPARATION Always prepare a fresh set of standards for every use. Diluted standard solution is unstable and must be used within 4 hours. 10.1 Using 1mM standard, prepare standard curve dilution as described in the table in a microplate or microcentrifuge tubes: Standard # Volume of Standard (µl) ddh 2 O (µl) Final volume standard in well (µl) End Conc Trolox in well 1 0 300 100 0 nmol/well 2 12 288 100 4 nmol/well 3 24 276 100 8 nmol/well 4 36 264 100 12 nmol/well 5 48 252 100 16 nmol/well 6 60 240 100 20 nmol/well Each dilution has enough amount of standard to set up duplicate reading (2 x 100 µl). Discover more at www.abcam.com 9

ASSAY PRE ASSAY PREPARATION 11.SAMPLE PREPARATION General Sample information: We recommend performing several dilutions of your sample to ensure the readings are within the standard value range. We recommend that you use fresh samples. If you cannot perform the assay at the same time, we suggest that you complete the Sample Preparation step before storing the samples. Alternatively, if that is not possible, we suggest that you snap freeze cells or tissue in liquid nitrogen upon extraction and store the samples immediately at -80 C. When you are ready to test your samples, thaw them on ice. Be aware however that this might affect the stability of your samples and the readings can be lower than expected. 11.1 Cell (adherent or suspension) samples: 11.1.1 Harvest the amount of cells necessary for each assay (initial recommendation = 2 x 10 6 cells). 11.1.2 Wash cells with cold PBS. 11.1.3 Resuspend cells in 100 µl of ddh 2 O (0.05% Triton can be used if needed). 11.1.4 Homogenize cells quickly by pipetting up and down a few times or grind in water. Incubate on ice 10 minutes. 11.1.5 Centrifuge sample for 2 5 minutes at 4 C at top speed using a cold microcentrifuge to remove any insoluble material. 11.1.6 Collect supernatant and transfer to a clean tube. 11.1.7 Keep on ice. 11.2 Tissue samples: 11.2.1 Harvest the amount of tissue necessary for each assay (initial recommendation 10-100 mg). 11.2.2 Wash tissue in cold PBS. Discover more at www.abcam.com 10

ASSAY PRE ASSAY PREPARATION 11.2.3 Resuspend tissue in 500 1,000 µl of ice cold PBS. 11.2.4 Homogenize using a Dounce homogenizer (10-50 passes) on ice until efficient lysis confirmed by viewing the cells under the microscope. 11.2.5 Centrifuge samples for 2 5 minutes at 4 C at top speed using a cold microcentrifuge to remove any insoluble material. 11.2.6 Collect supernatant and transfer to a clean tube. 11.2.7 Keep on ice. NOTE: Sonication can be performed instead. 11.3 Plasma, serum, urine and cell culture media samples: No sample purification is necessary. If only small molecule TAC is desired, samples should be diluted 1:1 with protein mask. For serum or plasma, heparin is recommend. 11.4 Drinks and food samples: Liquid samples do not require sample preparation. Solid food samples should be homogenized following procedure described in section 11.2. NOTE: We suggest using different volumes of sample to ensure readings are within the Standard Curve range. Discover more at www.abcam.com 11

ASSAY PROCEDURE and DETECTION 12.ASSAY PROCEDURE and DETECTION Equilibrate all materials and prepared reagents to room temperature prior to use. It is recommended to assay all standards, controls and samples in duplicate. 12.1 Set up Reaction wells: - Standard wells = 100 µl Standard dilutions. - Sample wells = 1 100 µl samples. (For serum samples use 0.01 0.1 µl without protein mask or 1-10 µl with protein mask. Adjust volume to 100 µl with ddh 2 O). - Background wells = 100 µl Assay Diluent. 12.2 Add 100 µl Cu 2+ working solution to all standard and sample wells.mix and incubate at room temperature for 1.5 hours on an orbital shaker protected from light. 12.4 Measure output (OD570 nm) on a microplate reader. Discover more at www.abcam.com 12

DATA ANALYSIS 13.CALCULATIONS Samples producing signals greater than that of the highest standard should be further diluted in appropriate buffer and reanalyzed, then multiplying the concentration found by the appropriate dilution factor. For statistical reasons, we recommend each sample should be assayed with a minimum of two replicates (duplicates). 13.1 Average the duplicate reading for each standard and sample. 13.2 Subtract the mean absorbance value of the blank (Standard #1) from all standard and sample readings. This is the corrected absorbance. 13.3 Plot the corrected absorbance values for each standard as a function of the final concentration of Trolox. 13.4 Draw the best smooth curve through these points to construct the standard curve. Most plate reader software or Excel can plot these values and curve fit. Calculate the trendline equation based on your standard curve data (use the equation that provides the most accurate fit). 13.5 Concentration of samples in the test samples is calculated as: Sample antioxidant capacity = ( Sa Sv) D Where: Sa = Sample amount read from the standard curve (in nmol). Sv = Undiluted sample volume added to the wells. D = Sample dilution factor. Discover more at www.abcam.com 13

ASSAY PRE DATA ANALYSIS 14.TYPICAL DATA TYPICAL STANDARD CURVE Data provided for demonstration purposes only. A new standard curve must be generated for each assay performed. Figure 1: Typical Trolox standard calibration curve using colorimetric reading. Discover more at www.abcam.com 14

ASSAY PRE DATA ANALYSIS Figure 2: Trolox equivalent capacity measured in milk and concentrated squash. Background signal subtracted, duplicates; +/- SD. Figure 3: Trolox equivalent capacity measured in mouse tissue lysates, showing quantity (nmol) per mg of extracted protein. Results following blocking of protein activity is shown (Mask). (Duplicates; +/- SD). Discover more at www.abcam.com 15

ASSAY PRE DATA ANALYSIS Figure 4: Trolox equivalent capacity measured in biological fluids. Results following blocking of protein activity is shown (Mask). Background signal subtracted, duplicates; +/- SD. Discover more at www.abcam.com 16

RESOURCES 15.QUICK ASSAY PROCEDURE NOTE: This procedure is provided as a quick reference for experienced users. Follow the detailed procedure when performing the assay for the first time. Solubilize Trolox standard, thaw all other components (aliquot if necessary); get equipment ready. Prepare standard curve. Prepare samples in duplicate (find optimal dilutions to fit standard curve readings). Set up plate for standard (100 µl), samples (100 µl) and positive control wells (100 µl). Add 100 µl Cu 2+ working solution to all standard, control and sample wells. Mix and incubate at RT for 1.5 hours on an orbital shaker protected from light. Measure plate at OD570 nm for colorimetric assay. Discover more at www.abcam.com 17

RESOURCES 16.TROUBLESHOOTING Problem Cause Solution Assay not working Sample with erratic readings Lower/ Higher readings in samples and Standards Use of ice-cold buffer Plate read at incorrect wavelength Use of inappropriate plate for reader Samples not deproteinized (if indicated on protocol) Cells/tissue samples not homogenized completely Samples used after multiple free/ thaw cycles Use of old or inappropriately stored samples Presence of interfering substance in the sample Improperly thawed components Allowing reagents to sit for extended times on ice Incorrect incubation times or temperatures Buffers must be at room temperature Check the wavelength and filter settings of instrument Colorimetry: Clear plates Fluorescence: Black plates (clear bottom) Use PCA precipitation protocol for deproteinization Use Dounce homogenizer (increase number of strokes); observe for lysis under microscope Aliquot and freeze samples if needed to use multiple times Use fresh samples or store at - 80 C (after snap freeze in liquid nitrogen) till use Check protocol for interfering substances; deproteinize samples Thaw all components completely and mix gently before use Always thaw and prepare fresh reaction mix before use Verify correct incubation times and temperatures in protocol Discover more at www.abcam.com 18

RESOURCES Problem Cause Solution Pipetting errors in standard or reaction mix Standard readings do not follow a linear pattern Unanticipated results Air bubbles formed in well Standard stock is at incorrect concentration Measured at incorrect wavelength Samples contain interfering substances Sample readings above/ below the linear range Avoid pipetting small volumes and prepare a master mix whenever possible Pipette gently against the wall of the tubes Always refer to dilutions on protocol Check equipment and filter setting Troubleshoot if it interferes with the kit Concentrate/ Dilute sample so as to be in the linear range Discover more at www.abcam.com 19

RESOURCES 17. FAQs Why do I get different results from the same sample at different times? This can occur due to 3 main possibilities: 1. Different lots may give different readings. However, when using calibration curve together with the sample testing, the sample concentration should be in the same range. 2. Sample may change during storage, especially Vitamin C. 3. When using the same lot, the same sample reading should be similar, otherwise maybe some experimental error. Is the theory of TAC assay kit the same as the DPPH radical method? I am using DPPH reagent (final concentration 250 µm in toluene) and want to know is there any advantage for using your TAC assay kit. The two assays are different from one another. Our TAC assay uses Cu++ to Cu+ as a mechanistic tool. It is easy to reduce so some molecules such as uric acid will respond quickly to it. Some of the disadvantages of the DPPH are: 1) This method quantifies DPPH after exposure to sample. The standard curve gives negative results. 2) Reaction kinetics between DPPH and anti-oxidants are not linear. So the antioxidant capacity is rather arbitrary. 3) The time to steady state using DPPH varies with different antioxidants. So you may get conflicting relative capacity depending on the reaction time. Does EDTA in blood affects the use of this kit on plasma? Although small presence of EDTA should have no problem on the function of this kit, we recommend using heparin or citrate. Samples that use EDTA as anticoagulant will give a lower antioxidant capacity Discover more at www.abcam.com 20

RESOURCES compared with heparinized plasma samples, but should nonetheless be sufficient for detection and data analysis. Is the protein mask necessary with urine sample, since the level of protein in urine compared to serum is minimal? If the total antioxidant capacity is desired, I would not recommend the use of the protein mask. If only the levels of the small molecule antioxidants are required, please use the protein mask. Which sample is better between serum and plasma? Both human serum and plasma have an antioxidant capacity of 0.5-2 mm. So both samples would be equally good for detection. Discover more at www.abcam.com 21

RESOURCES 18.INTERFERENCES These chemicals or biological will cause interferences in this assay causing compromised results or complete failure. Discover more at www.abcam.com 22

RESOURCES 19. NOTES Discover more at www.abcam.com 23

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